NEWS
Plans made for Derby contenders
Posted: Wednesday, April 05, 2000
The connections of Triple Crown nominees Elite Mercedes, Wheelaway, and Country Only have decided where those colts will run next in preparation for a possible start in the Kentucky Derby (G1).
Trainer W. Elliott Walden told Daily Racing Form that Elite Mercedes, second behind Globalize in the Turfway Spiral Stakes (G2) on March 25, will run in the Arkansas Derby (G2) on April 15 at Oaklawn Park.
Walden used the Arkansas Derby in 1998 for Victory Gallop, who won that race and later finished second in the Derby and Preakness Stakes (G1) before winning the Belmont Stakes (G1). A son of Mercedes Won, Elite Mercedes is 2-3-1 in eight career starts for $252,905 in earnings.
Trainer John Kimmel also told the Form that he planned to run Country Only in the Wood Memorial Stakes (G2) at Aqueduct and Wheelaway in the Blue Grass Stakes (G1) at Keeneland. Both races will be run on April 15.
Country Only finished a disappointing ninth in the Louisiana Derby (G2) on March 12 after racking up back-to-back victories in a pair of listed stakes at Aqueduct earlier this year. The son of Carson City out of the Stalwart mare Only Maisie has won 3-of-8 starts for $139,080 in earnings.
The highly-regarded Wheelaway will enter the Blue Grass off an impressive victory on March 19 in the Tampa Bay Derby. Unraced at two, the son of Unbridled out of the Damascus mare Cuidado has won 2-of-4 starts this season for $114,760 in earnings.
